A Multitude of Possibilities
by spirithorse
Summary: A series of one-shots based on prompts from the Challenge on Infinite Worlds 30 day writing challenge on tumblr. Pairings include Suzalulu, SuzaEuphy, Lelouch/C.C./Suzaku, Kanon/Schneizel and Nunnally/Rolo.
1. Hogwarts

**Author's Note: **So I found a 30 day AU challenge on tumblr and decided to focus on Code Geass. That being said, please note that these are little snippets of stories and will probably not be continued. If you want to take an idea and run with it, however, just credit me with the original idea and shoot me a message when you've started posting. Also, please not that there are multiple pairings within this challenge, not just Suzalulu. Finally, the chapter titles are the prompts for the fic.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Code Geass or any of the crossovers in this series. They all belong to their respective owners.

**Warnings: **Character death

**A Multiple of Possibilities**

_One last quick note before we start. This takes place in the same universe as my other Code Geass/Hogwarts crossover _Between Professors_._

**Chapter One: Hogwarts**

It always amazed Lelouch to watch Suzaku perform magic at the shrine, mostly because he was always afraid that Suzaku would get caught.

Back in England, students weren't allowed to use magic outside of Hogwarts. Lelouch had heard horrible rumors about those students who did, even though he _knew_ that they just got expelled. That still didn't explain the mysterious catches of luggage that Lelouch had found at the end of his second year.

He pulled his knees up, watching as Suzaku carefully circled the area around the tree. Then again, magic was different in Japan. They had often compared spells, Lelouch trading the ones he learned for some of Suzaku's spells, like the one that kept his fire burning no matter what. In the damp rooms of the Slytherin dorms, Lelouch was more than willing to cast the spell, even after he found out that he was invoking a fire demon to do his bidding every time he cast it. The comfort was worth it.

The Japanese spells weren't all wand waving and precise words, although Lelouch knew of a few that Suzaku was still struggling with. Most of it was through simple objects, pieces of paper with the spells already written down and through careful rituals. Compared to the magic that he was taught at Hogwarts, it looked archaic. Lelouch had learned that wizards in Britain had once used the same lengthy rituals to carry out their spells, but magic had become streamlined since then. If any of his friends from Hogwarts had seen Suzaku working his magic they would have laughed; thinking that Suzaku was a squib who needed the extra help or a muggle who was faking it. That was one of the reasons that Lelouch rarely told his year mates where he went over the summers, because then he would have to explain why he enjoyed watching Suzaku work magic so much.

Lelouch was distracted by his thoughts by a rustle in the tree. By the way that Suzaku had stopped his friend already knew that something was there. Lelouch pulled his legs closer to his body, ready to run if Suzaku shouted at him. He had ignored Suzaku's warning once and had regretted it when the _oni_ had come charging at him. Lelouch still had the scar on his side to prove it.

Suzaku didn't seem to be worried at all. He just took a step back, dragging the stick in front of him to complete the complex design that he had been drawing in the dirt for nearly ten minutes. Lelouch had to marvel at Suzaku's concentration, considering his friend could barely sit still long enough to get through some of his tutor's lectures. Still, when it came to his duty, Suzaku was nothing but attentive. When his apprenticeship was over, he would be in charge of watching the area around the Kururugi house and shrine, just like his mother was doing. In that case, Lelouch wasn't too surprised about Suzaku taking his job completely seriously.

There was a rustle from the tree, Lelouch getting a brief glimpse of a human face before the thing surged out of the top of the tree. Lelouch jumped to his feet when it turned into a fireball, ducking around the rock he had been sitting on for cover. It was the typical maneuver that Suzaku had ordered him to take whenever something appeared. These weren't the carefully secured creatures that he had seen in Defense Against the Dark Arts class, or from afar as the third years had trooped off to Care of Magical Creatures. This was something completely wild, and dangerous if Lelouch remembered the circle that Suzaku had drawn correctly. Wild, dangerous and screaming, far too much to allow a thirteen year old boy to handle.

But that was back in England.

Suzaku stood his ground as the thing came hurtling at him. Lelouch thought he heard the fireball cackle just before it swooped into the circle. The creature probably thought that Suzaku made an easy target, but it was brought to a stop by the circle. The fireball turned in place as Suzaku clapped his hands together and ducked his head.

The invocation was too fast and too quiet for Lelouch to catch all of it, but he knew the just of it. Apparently, there were different ones that Suzaku had memorized, but they all essentially said the same thing. Each named the creature, bound it to the power in the circle and then either sent it into an object or banished it away. Lelouch had never been too clear on where the creatures went, and Suzaku would never tell him. Apparently it was a trade secret.

The fireball gave a high pitched squeal before being sucked violently into the small jar that Suzaku had placed in the center of the circle. Still chanting, Suzaku followed, stepping into the circle to cram the top of the jar back on. There was a moment of high pressure, like the moment before a thunderstorm, before Suzaku banished the magic back into the earth.

He knelt by the jar, resting a hand on it for a moment before nodding. Suzaku sat back with a sigh, glancing over at Lelouch. After a moment, he grinned. "You can come out now."

"I knew that." Lelouch stormed out from his hiding place, carefully wiping the dirt from his shorts. "I just wanted to wait, to make you feel better."

Suzaku stared at him quizzically for a second before shrugging. Lelouch took that as an invitation to join him, careful not to mar the circle as he stepped in. Sometimes they had to wait a while just to make sure that the creature was well and truly caught or for the magic to dissipate. Lelouch remembered Suzaku being lectured on his carelessness once, and he had never heard his friend lectured again after that.

He pulled out his wand, tempted to poke the jar, but he didn't. Instead, he twirled the wand in his fingers, watching Suzaku's eyes follow it. To his knowledge, Japanese wizards didn't rely on wands. He had seen a few, but they seemed to be something that was given to wizards when they had finished their training. Suzaku was probably a bit jealous of his wand, something that Lelouch thought was silly. Suzaku could work magic without a wand already; Lelouch still had no idea how to do that on his own.

Lelouch let his wand drop to his side, out of Suzaku's sight. Instead, he leaned forward and stared at the jar. "What was that?"

"_Tsurube-otoshi_. It was bothering the neighborhood for a while." Suzaku shrugged one shoulder and looked up at the sky. "It was actually harder to catch than I thought it would be."

"What can you use it for?"

Suzaku looked startled by his question. "Uh, you could use its power for protection spells, I guess, or bind it to serve you. I don't know, I usually don't think about these things."

"You just hand it to your mother."

Suzaku nodded and pulled his knees toward his chest. "Yes. I'm hoping this will be enough to impress father, because he's promised me something special for my next birthday if I prove myself ready."

Lelouch resisted the urge to snort. He would never understand Suzaku's need to earn his father's attention, especially when the man had never cared for Suzaku before. Genbu was just happy that his son was proving to be powerful, something that Lelouch wanted the hurt the man for. He bet Genbu didn't even know how kind Suzaku could be, his son's moments of great insight that even startled Lelouch. All he cared about was having a son that wouldn't embarrass him in the wizarding community.

As if Suzaku guessed what Lelouch was thinking, he reached over to poke Lelouch's shoulder. "I'm free after this, what do you want to do?"

"I don't know." Lelouch shrugged. "But I don't want to race you back."

"I'll go easy on you this time."

Lelouch just glared at Suzaku, relieved that his friend laughed. But he wasn't going to back down on the race. Suzaku always won, even when Lelouch tried every trick he knew to slow Suzaku down. He would have suspected Suzaku of using magic, but his friend was too earnest for that.

He leaned back on his hands, fully expecting Suzaku to make another suggestion for their next activity. He was surprised when Suzaku just copied his pose, staring down at the jar in the middle of the circle. "How many days until you go back?"

Lelouch bit his lip, looking anywhere but Suzaku. "Five."

Suzaku took the news with a stoic nod. His friend was silent for a while, Lelouch almost ready to agree to another race when Suzaku looked up at him with a smile. "Just remember to write."

"O-of course I will." Lelouch stumbled through the quick change in his friend's mood, not sure what to think of the sudden levity to Suzaku. "Someone has to make sure you don't kill yourself."

"I know what I'm doing, Lelouch."

Lelouch looked back at the jar in the center of the circle, very willing to admit that to himself. Suzaku was on par with some of the forth years that Lelouch had seen at Hogwarts, at least in this. In other matters, Suzaku was about on the same level as a second year. Lelouch couldn't wait until he was allowed to use magic outside of school, just so he could challenge Suzaku to a wizard's duel. He was sure that he would get a better gauge on his friend then.

He stood up abruptly, wiping the dirt from his legs. "Is that done yet?"

Suzaku reached out and tapped the jar, ignoring the way that Lelouch winced at the sound. He tipped his head to study the pot for a moment before nodding. "Should be?"

He scooped up the jar and began rubbing out the circle, Lelouch helping on his end. When it was nothing more than a patch of disturbed dirt, Suzaku tucked the jar under his arm. Lelouch hurried to his friend's side, not saying a word as Suzaku bumped their shoulders together. If anything, he leaned into the touch, because he had five more days.

Five more days in Japan, pretending it was just like those beautiful summer days when the entire world had been in fear. Of course, he had been too young to remember Lord Voldemort, he had been having too much fun with Suzaku once they had gotten over their differences. Five more days until he went back to school and pushed himself through his third year.

He would be able to write to Suzaku, but it wasn't quite the same. Lelouch wanted all of his friends to be at Hogwarts with him, because it was fun there. At Hogwarts, Suzaku wouldn't have to keep putting himself in danger just to prove himself to his father. Genbu would have to be proud of his son if Suzaku won all of the awards that Lelouch knew he could.

But he didn't say any of that to Suzaku. He just let their shoulders bump against each other as they trudged down the dusty road.


	2. Zombies

**Chapter Two: Zombies**

"Get in!" Suzaku shouted the command as he held the door open, straining against the mechanism that was trying to slam the door shut on him.

He felt the last person slip past him, Suzaku twisting out of the way. There was a slight hiss as the door settled into place, Suzaku staring at it and panting for breath. He let himself have a moment, gathering himself together before he turned to look at the others in the room. He had to be strong for them. After all, they were all probably just as scared. And he was military, a knight if only by rank. That was something that would calm people down, a sense of authority. Suzaku doubted that Lelouch could manage that now; his friend was too busy taking care of Nunnally.

Suzaku glanced over to where Lelouch and Nunnally were huddled further down the hall, clearing his throat before walking towards where the other people were huddled. "Is everyone alright?"

Their replies were slow to follow, the first coming out in a quick bunch. The rest came as people caught their breaths or as others came around to respond for them.

Suzaku sighed and counted their group, wincing as he came up three short. He had hoped that everyone would be able to keep up. He had broken them down into groups especially for that purpose. Everyone had someone associated with the military with them, all with orders to head to the G-1 Base that had never been removed from the Special Administrative Zone. It had been Suzaku's goal to get to the base and then broadcast their position. Hopefully there would be more survivors that he could save.

He took a step back, slumping against the wall as he caught his breath.

The G-1 was secure, he knew that much. Only he and the few other military personal had the passcode under Princess Euphemia's orders. She hadn't wanted the mobile base to stay, but it had been something that Cornelia hadn't given up. Cornelia had wanted to make sure that her sister would be safe if the Elevens turned on the Britannians.

In the end, Princess Cornelia had been wrong. It was the Britannian Empire that had turned against them.

Suzaku ran a hand through his hair, taking a deep breath. He had no idea who had thought up the plan of creating the virus or releasing infected people into the Special Administrative Zone. All he knew was that Euphemia had woken him up in a panic, demanding that he help her save the residents of the SAZ. Suzaku could only thank every god that he knew of for Prince Schneizel. The prince had been the one to warn Euphemia, with just enough time to spread the word and begin the evacuation. But they had underestimated how quickly the virus would spread.

Those that were infected couldn't run, but they were relentless, they didn't tire. Humans did. Suzaku was sure that frantic and exhausted humans were the reason for so many losses. As it was, he doubted that they'd get half of the SAZ out safely, even if he went back in by himself or the Black Knights were called.

His fingers twitched by his side at the thought, Suzaku glancing toward the door. That was a thought. The Lancelot was off site and there hadn't been any Knightmares left to them because of Euphemia's orders, but the Black Knights were something different. He was sure that they would help evacuate the rest of the SAZ, since their leader supported it. With Knightmares, they could herd the infected into certain areas and then…

What came after was the problem. So far, the only solutions that Suzaku had come up with were to herd the infected into small areas and lock them in or kill them. The former only worked for a while, because they would fling themselves against the barriers until either their bodies or the barriers broke. After that, they would just start wandering again. The other option was one that Suzaku didn't want to think about. Infected or not, they had once been human and deserved more dignity than to be gunned down by Knightmares. But, if he was forced to choose between the living and the ones that were stumbling around in the streets, Suzaku knew that he would chose the living. And he would hate himself for it.

He sighed and pushed himself onto his feet, checking the keypad for the door one more time. It was secure, which meant that they were in control of the G-1 Base. He would send the two groups to start looking through the hallways. Even if everyone believed that the base was secure, Suzkau wanted to be sure. In any case, it would be easy to turn the inner defense systems against any intruders.

Suzaku rubbed the back of his neck, trying to chase away an ache there from when he hadn't ducked low enough to scurry under some debris. When the ache wouldn't go away, he shook his head, resigning himself to dealing with it later. His first priority was the people that were with him. He glanced around the room, meeting the gazes of the two other military personnel before nodding. They both saluted and got to their feet, starting off. Suzaku was quick to step into everyone's line of sight, not wanting their survivors to panic.

"They're just sweeping the base, old habits." There were a few chuckles from the group, Suzaku glad that he could distract everyone so easily. "But we'll need to go through the hallways anyway, to figure out what we have here and how we'll go about the rest of our rescue mission. Stay in groups and be ready to report to command when you're done. It's the large room at the top of the base. After that, we'll assign rooms and try to get you out of here as soon as possible."

He offered everyone a smile, relieved when they relaxed. A few started to get up, giving people a hand. Suzaku remained behind, watching as the group split up and began to walk down the hallways. Everyone seemed to be calming down now that they were safe. It would be good for them, even if it was just a short interval. He would need those who could shoot guns ready to work when they went back for the rest.

"Suzaku?" Nunnally tugged on his sleeve, Suzaku surprised that Lelouch had managed to push her wheelchair so close to him without him noticing. He must have been more tired than he thought.

He didn't bother to crouch down beside her chair, looking at Lelouch instead. "Come on, you two can wait in the comm with Euphy and I."

Lelouch didn't argue, trudging wearily after Suzaku as he led their small party of four. He had never found out why Lelouch had been in the SAZ, but he had known that Nunnally was visiting. Nunnally had been the first person that Suzaku had run to secure once he had gotten the news, although Lelouch had already been there. Suzaku gave Lelouch a sidelong glance, noting that Lelouch didn't even bother to look at him. It was probably just a testament to how tired Lelouch was, but Suzaku wasn't quite sure.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "We might need the Black Knight's help." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lelouch tense. It was hard to keep his face blank, but Suzaku managed it, plunging onward. "They could keep the infected at bay while we rescue people. And we might need an escort."

"They won't like it."

Suzaku twisted slightly so he could see Lelouch. "I'll give them my word as a knight that they won't be harmed, and Euphy can back it up. Right, Euphy?"

He expected her to respond, surprised when she looked up at him in confusion. It was gone a moment later, Euphemia nodding in agreement and giving Lelouch her own assurances. Suzaku bit his lip, but let his suspicion go. Euphemia had been keeping pace with him all night and was bound to be exhausted; everyone was. That was why Suzaku hoped that some of their people could rest. Tired people made more mistakes and he didn't want any more deaths on his hands.

* * *

The door to the comm opened easily to his code, Suzaku stepping in and starting to turn on the lights. He moved to the side as Lelouch bustled past him, leaving Euphemia to push Nunnally towards the throne in the back. It was the safest place for her; close enough that Lelouch could get to her but out of the way of the bustle that Suzaku was sure would overtake the command center when the others reported back. He glanced to the side to see Lelouch booting up the computers, Suzaku smiling at the light that the screens brought. After running around for so long in darkness, it was good to have a bit of light.

He walked over to where Lelouch stood, leaning close to his friend. Lelouch leaned back against him, looking like he was almost tempted to rest his head on Suzaku's shoulder. In response, Suzaku wrapped his fingers around Lelouch's wrist, offering that support. "You alright?"

"I'll be fine once this hell is done with." Lelouch glanced back at Nunnally, lowering his voice. "Thank you, Suzaku."

"There's no need to."

"Most people would have abandoned Nunnally without a thought."

Suzaku didn't react, because he had known that. He had seen it in some of the people's eyes when things had started to look tough. But he didn't care. Nunnally was his friend, almost a little sister to him. He was not going to let her die, just like he wasn't going to let Lelouch die.

He licked his lips and leaned closer to Lelouch, hoping his gamble would pay off. Suzaku hadn't had time to think over his suspicions, especially after Kamine Island and the rush that had come with setting up the SAZ, but it was worth a shot. "Could you get the Black knights to help us? They'd listen to Zero."

He felt Lelouch start, Suzaku tightening his hold on Lelouch's wrist. Lelouch struggled for a moment before slumping, Suzaku carefully letting go of his friend.

"How long have you known?"

"Not long. I just guessed." He saw Lelouch's shoulders tense, quickly taking a step back so he wasn't crowding Lelouch. "But I'm not going to turn you in. You and the Black Knights have been cooperative."

"And you'd just overlook everything else we'd done?"

Suzaku wanted to say no, but then he wouldn't be able to continue the operation as he had planned it. And there would be some people who would be overjoyed at the thought of the Black Knights coming to save them. "Yes, because this is bigger than all of that."

Lelouch relaxed again, Suzaku careful not to pressure him for an answer as they continued to work with the computers. He was in the middle of trying to figure out if he could try and get the computers to identify the infected when Lelouch bumped gently into him. Suzaku turned to face him, leaning against the table as he listened. "I could, but it would take them some time. And then I'd have to convince them."

"Do what you can as fast as you can. Tell them that the Japanese are dying if that gets them here faster."

"Britannians are too."

"But do they care?"

Lelouch snorted. "They should. We're knights for justice."

Suzaku wanted to laugh at that, but he held himself back. He was sure that Lelouch didn't believe half the stuff that he said as Zero, but that same rhetoric might be enough to save them all. Suzaku was not about to endanger his only way out of the situation. There would always be time to figure out what to do about Lelouch, Zero and the Black Knights; but that would be later, much later.

He leaned back over the table, intending to continue trying to get some kind of system online when he heard Nunnally give a small gasp. Both he and Lelouch turned around, watching as Nunnally reached out to Euphemia. "Euphy, what's wrong?"

Suzaku looked over at Euphemia, surprised by the way that she was backing away from Nunnally. Then he noticed the blood on her fingers and the stained white rag around her wrist. It took him a moment to process what he was seeing, but then he was shaking his head, leaning as far back as he could.

It was just a scratch. They had been clambering through partially constructed buildings and running through houses to get away from the infected. There were plenty of places that Euphemia could have hurt herself, just like he had. She was probably just as scared as he was, trying to think back to remember if she had been bitten or not. Suzaku took a deep breath, letting it out quickly as he pushed away from the table.

Euphemia was scared, so he had to keep calm. As her knight, it was his duty to protect her, so he would make sure that any cut was cleaned and properly bandaged and then hidden away. He didn't need panic in the base.

He gave her a smile, holding out a hand to her, only for her to shrink back. "Euphy…"

"Get back. Get back all of you!" Euphemia's voice wavered, Suzaku taking note of the tears in her eyes and the way that she was shaking. When he took another step forward, she retreated again. "Please, don't come near me."

"Euphy it's okay. It's just a scratch. We'll just clean it up and-"

"No, Suzaku." It was a command, Suzaku coming up short. Euphemia leveled a tear filled glare at him before curling over her injured arm. "It isn't a scratch. One of them bit me."

"They couldn't have."

"I was saving that little girl when I lagged behind, remember? You were shouting at me to hurry up. I passed the girl to her mother and one of them bit me." Euphemia paused to wipe her tears with her hand, streaking blood across her face. "I was hoping that it wasn't, but I can't lie to myself. Not after you worked so hard to save everyone. And I can't…I can't be turned into a monster."

"Euphy…"

"I can't allow myself to kill them!"

Silence fell over the room as Euphemia shouted. Lelouch dodged around Suzaku to stand between Euphemia and Nunnally while Suzaku could only stare. This couldn't be happening, not when he was so close to saving everyone. It was just a scratch and Euphemia was overreacting. It had to be because he had to save her. She was like Lelouch and Nunnally, one of the people that he couldn't lose.

He didn't realize that he was trembling until Lelouch's hand closed over his arm. He looked over at his friend, waiting for Lelouch to say something. Lelouch was the one who always had the plan; Suzaku's had come stumbling to a halt. He had never expected to have to go on without Euphemia. But in this, Lelouch failed him, his friend shaking his head. Suzaku reached up with his free hand to grab at Lelouch's arm.

They had to be able to do something. Even then, Lelouch was Zero. Everyone said that Zero could make miracles, and Lelouch owed him one.

Instead, what he got was the cold solidity of a gun pressed against his arm. It was only because he was still in shock that Suzaku took it. He stared at the gun, still not comprehending what Lelouch wanted him to do. He knew what he should do, knew that it was the only way that they had found to stop someone once they had been bitten, but the outbreak was still too new. There had to be other ways, ones that they hadn't figured out yet.

He swallowed and looked back up at Lelouch, trying to push the gun back on him. "Lelouch, I can't."

"Did you hear me, Suzaku? I said to kill me." He looked helplessly back at Euphemia, watching as she drew herself up. She even dropped her hand away from the bite wound, leaving a swath of red on her skirt as her hand brushed against the fabric. Suzaku met her gaze, his stomach rolling. He knew what she was trying to do, that she was trying to be brave for him, but it wasn't working. Euphemia might have been brave, but he was the one shaking.

"Euphy."

She took a step forward, resting her hands against his cheeks. Euphemia held his face steady, forcing him to look at her. When he did, she just smiled and gave him a small nod. "You're my knight, you're supposed to follow my orders. And I'm ordering you to keep them all safe. I don't want them all to die."

"They won't."

"And I don't want to become a monster. Protect me from that Suzaku, promise me that you can."

His mouth was dry, Suzaku wanting to shake his head. But Euphemia was just calmly looking at him, waiting for his answer, and he knew exactly what that answer had to be. He couldn't stand the thought of her dead, but he couldn't stand the thought of her living like the others were and the chance that she would hate him while she was like that.

Suzaku might have nodded, he wasn't sure. All he knew was that Euphemia was lowering her hands to his wrists and guiding the gun into place by her temple. Automatically, Suzaku adjusted his grip on the gun, holding it the way that the army had taught him.

Euphemia kept silent through the entire movement, holding him steady even when he started to shake. Suzaku met her calm gaze, feeling his stomach twist even as he spoke. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It was my fault." Euphemia gave him an exhausted smile.

"I love you." Euphemia just nodded, Suzaku sighing with relief when she closed her eyes.

He raised the gun so it pressed against her temple, watching his hand shake for a moment before closing his eyes. His hand was still shaking, but Suzaku doubted that he could have stopped it. He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

Then he pulled the trigger.


	3. Medieval

**Chapter Three: Medieval **

Rolo sulked in the gardens, nearly shuffling his way down the path.

The king was out of the country, leaving his queen in charge. Rolo had bristled at the slight to him as Lelouch's heir, but he hadn't been able to voice his objections. He had seen what had happened to the last man that had voiced any objection to the queen. That man had suffered an unfortunate mishap on the battlefield and his fortune had disappeared overnight. Everyone knew what had really happened, but everyone kept silent, which made it all worse.

He knew what Lelouch had been before he had married C.C. His uncle had been a fair king. They had kept within their borders and there had been peace. And then Lelouch had answered a call from one of his cousins to save her kingdom, and he had answered. Rolo had been left in charge of then, Lelouch trusting his heir. But then Lelouch had gone had married the witch and everything had changed. Suddenly he was always at war, taking his army out as soon as the fields were planted to strike against the other kingdoms. Slowly, Lelouch had accrued a kingdom from there.

Everyone said that they were happier, that there was now peace across the whole of England, but Rolo doubted that. He could remember what it had been like before, and that had been better. _Lelouch_ had been better before he had been bewitched.

It was the only conclusion that Rolo could draw. C.C. wasn't even a proper name, but that what she insisted on being called. When he had looked into her, there had been nothing; she wasn't even from a noble family. For all he knew, she had sprung fully formed from the ground. Rolo winced at that. Lelouch was part of the royal line, and it was up to him to keep that royal line going so they could remain in the favor of God. If his line were to fail, it would all be because of that witch.

The other thing that bothered Rolo about her, aside from the way that Lelouch's behavior had immediately changed after he had married her, was the way she acted around Sir Kururugi. Rolo was aware that most women, and quite a few men, worshipped the ground that Suzaku walked on. Rolo was not one of them, and his contempt for the knight sprang from his own jealousy. Suzaku seemed to be constantly hovering around Lelouch, making it a chore for Rolo to get any time with his uncle. What was worse than Suzaku's constant hovering was the way that he and C.C. looked at each other, like they wanted to devour each other on the spot. Such open lust was disgusting, especially when it was in front of the entire court. Surely someone else could see it and worry about it. That C.C. was a witch was not enough, but she was cuckolding Lelouch as well.

It was why he bristled at being passed over for the regency. Not only that, but Sir Kururugi had been asked to look after C.C. while Lelouch went to visit one of his siblings. Lelouch was probably planning another campaign and was going to ask Cornelia and her husband to assist him. Rolo had sat in on the meetings, listening as Lelouch had laid out his plans for the war that was going to free up their borders some more, giving them more breathing room against foreign invaders. But he couldn't understand why Lelouch would leave his best knight behind when he was going off to plan a campaign, nor could he understand why Lelouch would leave his heir. Certainly, Rolo deserved to know what was going on in the kingdom that he was going to rule one day.

The sound of laughter made him slow his steps, Rolo quickly darting off the path to walk on the other side of the hedge. It wouldn't hide him completely, but people rarely looked behind the hedges, pretending to be ignorant of the trysts that were sure to be going on behind them. Rolo was not one of those people, but he preferred to stick to the gravel path. What he did not know, he did not have to report.

Rolo stepped closer to the bushes as the giggling got louder, pausing to peer through a gap. He was not surprised to see a group of the queen's ladies in waiting in the garden. With the fair weather, most of them were taking advantage of the garden while they still could. It was only a matter of time before it started getting cold. Rolo would not begrudge them their outing, but he wondered where the queen was. She should not have been out on her own.

He clenched his hands into fists and stalked off behind the hedge. He would search the entire garden for her if he had to and then drag her back to her ladies. C.C. could use the reminder that she was to act like a highborn lady, no matter where she had come from. Rolo would not stand for her embarrassing his king while Lelouch was gone. He wasn't the regent, but he could look after Lelouch's interests all the same.

Low voices alerted him to the fact that there were more people using the lane behind the hedge, Rolo slowing his steps. They were blocked from view by a curve in the hedge, Rolo sneaking up to the curve and carefully leaning around it.

As he expected it was a tryst behind the hedge, but he hadn't expected it to be C.C. and Sir Kururugi, not so openly.

He watched as they bent their head close together, Suzaku whispering something to her. The whispered conversation was one sided, Suzaku the one speaking with his mouth close to the queen's ear. Rolo frowned at the show of familiarity. If Suzaku had something important to report, then he could have sought out the queen with her ladies in waiting. From there, they could have retreated to a respectable distance and had a private conversation with the proper escort present. Rolo had enough to do looking after his uncle's kingdom, especially since C.C. seemed to have no interest in keeping up with the affairs of state.

Rolo gritted his teeth, quickly coming to the end of his patience. This was something that had to be settled now before things got too out of hand. He would separate the two of them and talk to each. While he wasn't on the same social level as the queen, he hoped that he could make an impression. If not, then he could convince one of her ladies in waiting to help him. Maybe Lady Fenette, she was always so careful about who she talked to. He didn't worry about Sir Kururugi, Rolo outranked him as heir to the throne. Suzaku was just another knight, even if he was favored by the king.

With his mind made up, Rolo intended to walk out from where he was hidden, but he never got the chance. He was brought to a stop when Suzaku pulled back from C.C, just enough so he could turn his head and kiss the queen.

Rolo expected C.C. to rebuff the knight's advance. Even if she was a common woman and a witch, she had to know some kind of decorum or at least have learned in her years of staying in the castle. But she didn't, C.C. just wrapped her arms around Suzaku's neck and kissed him back.

Disgusted with the spectacle, Rolo turned and stormed off. He was not going to watch his uncle's wife shame herself with a knight, it was too much. It would be even worse if the kingdom found out. If Lelouch couldn't keep a woman faithful to him, how could he be expected to keep a kingdom together? C.C's infidelity was something that could bring everything to ruin, something that Rolo would not allow. He loved his uncle, far too much to allow Lelouch's rule to be overrun with doubt. Beyond that, Rolo was not so selfless that he didn't hope for the kingdom as it was when Lelouch finally did die, hopefully many years from now. But he wouldn't get that chance if C.C. ruined it all.

He stormed out from behind the hedge, quickly making up his mind. He wouldn't give anyone the chance to find out; he would bring the matter to the king himself. To do so would temporarily shame Lelouch, but Rolo was sure that there were ways around it. All he knew was that, to allow Lelouch to come out of the affair unscathed, he had to make sure the blame rested on Suzaku instead of C.C. As much as the idea disgusted him, Rolo would willingly take the chance. It would get rid of one of his enemies, after all. His own distaste in the matter was a small price to pay for the stability of the kingdom.

* * *

Rolo stood by his uncle's side, watching as Lelouch's hands tightened on the armrests of his throne. He turned his head and hid a smile, struggling for control. It wouldn't do to be seen gloating over what was happening. The downfall of his enemy deserved more tact than that. As much as he had hated Sir Kururugi, Lelouch had doted on the knight. It was only fair that Rolo stand by his uncle during the weakness that was sure to follow. It was a sacrifice that he was willing to make.

He looked back down at the knight kneeling on the floor, unable to stop the corner of his mouth from twitching up. From the glare that Suzaku shot at him, Rolo knew the knight had seen, but that didn't matter. No one would be able to prove that he had been the one to bring the news to Lelouch. Suzaku could insinuate and rage all he wanted, but Rolo would be safe.

"Tell me if it is true. This is the last chance you get, Suzaku."

Suzaku looked away from Rolo, focusing on Lelouch again. Rolo was sure that he could see Suzaku shaking a bit, but he wasn't sure if it was because of fear or rage. Rolo was hoping for the latter, because then Suzaku might make a mistake. Lelouch was bound to keep any punishment lenient because he and Suzaku had been friends, but being caught in a lie would mean that Suzaku was breaking his oath to his lord. If all went well, there was a chance that Suzaku could be executed.

To his disappointment, Suzaku ducked his head, addressing the floor instead of his king. "It is true, your highness."

"Then you have been with my wife."

"Yes."

"Even though you swore your loyalty to me?" There was a beat of silence before Lelouch stood up from his throne. The chair rocked back, Rolo reaching for it to keep it from falling over. Even then, he was paying attention to his uncle, watching as Lelouch stormed down to where Suzaku was kneeling. "You betrayed me, Suzaku!"

The knight flinched by didn't look up from the floor. "I did."

Lelouch stared down at the knight for a moment more before pointing at the door. "Get out of my sight." The order was a low hiss. "You are not to return to this court. Leave now, before I change my mind."

Suzaku got to his feet and left without a word. Rolo stared after him, struggling to keep the glee off his face. That was one of his problems dealt with. Now there was a chance that the queen would finally settle, and Lelouch would be safe.

He let go of the chair, stepping down to his uncle's side and resting a hand on Lelouch's arm. "You did the right thing. He would have just caused more trouble if you had ignored it."

"Yes." Lelouch sounded like he hadn't heard him, but the words didn't matter as much as the tone of voice and Rolo could see that Lelouch was relaxing already. His uncle took a step to the side, Rolo releasing him. "It's finished."

The lords and ladies in the room muttered to themselves as they left, Rolo hearing the swish of the ladies skirts as they left. But his attention was on his uncle.

Lelouch walked back toward the staircase that led to the upper floors of the castle. Rolo wasn't sure if he was going to seek out his wife or brood in his study. Either way, Rolo was going to leave him to it. He was sure that there were a few other judgments that needed to be passed on, and Lelouch wouldn't begrudge him the chance at practice. His uncle had never cared before. Rolo would give everyone time to settle down before listening to grievances. The court would be in shock but they all needed to move on for the sake of the kingdom.

* * *

The gate to the garden opened without a creak, Suzaku careful to close it just as quietly behind him. He kept one hand pressed against the wood while the other adjusted the hood. It wasn't the best disguise, but he hadn't been given much time to work on a better one. The summons from the queen had come too soon and with a sense of urgency that he couldn't ignore.

Suzaku glanced up at the castle and tugged the hood further over his face before walking through the garden, careful to slouch. Everyone in the castle knew him by sight; he had been part of Lelouch's household since before Lelouch had become king. That alone would make sneaking in difficult unless C.C. had done as she had promised. If the hallways were clear and everyone already in bed, then he would have no problem getting up to the queen's chambers. Most of the knights would be housed on the other side of the castle, concentrated around Rolo's room. Lelouch preferred to keep his heir surrounded by knights and safe, especially since it had been Suzaku at his side. Now, that was going to have to change and Suzaku hated it. To see another knight standing in his place beside the king made him want to punch something.

But that was the price he had paid, and the one he had agreed to. He had to take his exile, however long it would be, in good graces.

The door to the castle was just as well cared for as the one in the garden, Suzaku able to slip through without a stray noise. Suzaku eased the door shut, not bothering to linger as he strode towards the staircase.

He took the stairs two at a time, alert for any movement that would mean someone was coming. If he was caught, he would be condemned to death. Rumors would get him exiled until the affair blew over. Proof would get him killed no matter how many years of service he had given Lelouch. The kingdom needed to be strong and Lelouch needed to rule without doubt. Suzaku understood all of that, but he wished it were otherwise. Everything would be simpler.

The door to the queen's chamber was cracked open, Suzaku pausing in the hallway before slipping in. As he suspected, C.C. was sitting by the fire. The queen didn't even look up at him, continuing to warm her hands over the flames. Suzaku was far too used to her quirks to be insulted. Instead, he used the time to strip off his cloak and bow to her. Only then did C.C. move, waving a hand to indicate that he could stand.

Suzaku straightened up, freezing at the sound of a familiar voice coming from the back of the room. "I expect you had no trouble?"

He spun around to face Lelouch, spotting the king leaning against the wall. Suzaku bowed to Lelouch, glad to see a flicker of a smile cross Lelouch's face. When he was signaled to rise, Suzaku crossed the room to stand before him. "None at all."

"Good." Lelouch reached out, brushing his fingers across Suzaku's cheek. Suzaku sighed and leaned into the caress, feeling Lelouch step forward and place his other hand on Suzaku's waist. "You did well, my knight. A perfect performance."

"As you ordered."

"Yes." Lelouch paused, staring at Suzaku for a moment before leaning in. "Sorry."

The apology was a soft whisper against Suzaku's lips, briefly there before Lelouch closed the distance between them. Suzaku groaned and leaned into the kiss, settling his hands on Lelouch's waist. It had been far too long since they had gotten to do this, Lelouch away planning a war while Suzaku was left at the castle, Lelouch's faithful guard and spy.

He crowded Lelouch back against the wall, slipping one hand down Lelouch's leg. It would be so easy to lift Lelouch up, even easier to press him against the wall. His friend was losing weight, something that Suzaku worried about, but it was not something to dwell on, not when it made maneuvering Lelouch so easy.

A soft cough turned his attention away from Lelouch, Suzaku turning his head to watch as C.C. dropped her dress to the floor. He didn't bother to follow the flutter of fabric to the ground, his attention on C.C. as the queen walked to the bed. She flopped onto it, not bothering to get under the covers. Instead, she propped herself up on her elbows and stared at them. When neither of them moved, she flicked her fingers in their direction. "Go on. You two looked like you were in the middle of something."

"And leave a lady on her own?"

C.C. smirked, running a hand over her body. "I can handle myself."

They exchanged a smile, Suzaku aware that Lelouch was tugging on his shirt. Of course Lelouch would demand his attention first, Lelouch had been gone. Suzaku and C.C. had had their time together and now Lelouch was left wanting, something that the king had never handled well.

Suzaku reached up, gently removing Lelouch's hand from his collar. With the king's hand still captured in his own, he began to tug Lelouch towards the bed. "The queen has summoned us."

"She always is."

"Be grateful." C.C. smirked up from where she had fallen back on the pillows. "I can't think of anyone else who would put up with you."

For a moment, Lelouch sputtered. Suzaku laughed at the look of affront on his friend's face. He curbed his laughter when Lelouch glared at him, easily slipping into his role of mediator between the two. He lifted Lelouch's hand to his lips, brushing a kiss across Lelouch's knuckles. "Come to bed, my lord. Your lady and knight await you."

Lelouch sighed but nodded. It was all the permission needed for Suzaku and C.C. to pull him into the bed between them.


	4. Spies

**Chapter Four: Spies**

Suzaku coughed, lifting his head to stare at the familiar figure in front of him. "I didn't want it to be you."

Lelouch looked down at him from where he stood, still holding the mask between his hands. Suzaku stared at his friend, taking in Zero's familiar outfit before turning his head to the side and spitting blood onto the ground. He saw Lelouch jump at that, ignoring his friend's look of distaste in favor of probing his tongue around his mouth. No teeth were missing, which just meant that the blood had come from his split lip, the wound still throbbing in pain.

He forgot about the pain in his lip when Lelouch grabbed his chin. Even though the touch was gentle, it made the bruises and abrasions on his face hurt. Suzaku wanted to wince or jerk his head away from Lelouch, but he didn't allow himself to. Instead he glared at Lelouch, keeping the glare up as Lelouch tipped his face from side to side before sighing and letting go.

"I told them not to hurt you."

Suzaku snorted. "They went easy on me."

"That's not the point." Lelouch sat down gracefully in the chair that had been left for him before the Black Knights had scurried out of the room. The mask that he had held tucked under his arm was carefully set down on the floor, Lelouch not looking away from Suzaku the entire time. "I ordered them not to hurt you."

"I was a spy in their ranks. They had to see what I knew."

"You knew everything I wanted you to, everything that I wanted passed onto my father." Lelouch's hands clenched in his lap at the mention of Charles. "I knew what you were from the moment you came to the Black Knights. There was no reason that you would have joined otherwise."

"Everyone else believed."

"Everyone else doesn't know you."

Suzaku chuckled, shaking his head. "And you do. You must have enjoyed watching me blunder around here, pulling out information and trying to figure out who Zero was. You were probably laughing in your suite about how stupid I was not to realize it from the start." He jerked forward as much as his restraints would allow, ignoring the small noise of concerned protest that Lelouch gave. "The worst part is that I _did_ suspect you, but I talked myself out of it, because I thought I knew you too."

He sat back, glad to ease the pressure off of his wrists. Suzaku wiggled his hands, trying out the restraints again, but the verdict remained the same. He would have to break a wrist to get out, something he didn't want to do unless it was absolutely necessary. If he was going to escape, he needed to be fighting fit.

The Black Knights wouldn't let him go, not after finding out that he had been planted on behalf of Charles. Lelouch wouldn't let him go, not after Suzaku had figured out who was behind Zero's mask. Unless he could fend them all off, he would be stuck as the Black Knight's prisoner, something that Suzaku was not looking forward to. Even with Lelouch tempering his punishment, the Black Knights would not be so easy to forgive.

"Suzaku," he looked back up at Lelouch, "I offered you this chance once, and I'm offering it to you again. You can drop your ties to Britannia and join us. I'll make sure no harm comes to you, my word is law for them."

Suzaku scoffed, the sound enough to make Lelouch frown. "Do you think I'm joking? I've never offered this more than once to anyone. You are a liability now, one that I have to see secured or gotten rid of. I know about your moral code and how you cling to it, but this is a chance to make everything right again. Even you can see that. The Black Knights are a force for change."

"But is the change wanted?"

"Yes."

He sighed and shook his head slowly. "The price is too high."

Lelouch tensed, finally looking away from him. "Then you will be kept here until we've accomplished what needs to be done. I can't promise your protection then, but I will try."

"It doesn't matter."

"Would you stop being an idiot and listen! I can give them back Japan. I can give you back your home and dignity. You don't need to bow and scrape to Britannia any longer. For once, think about someone other than yourself!"

"It's not that." Suzaku leaned forward again, feeling the chair rock a bit under the shift. "It's too late."

"What?"

"I sent it, everything that I heard, everything that you let me learn. Even my suspicions about who Zero was. Every last bit of it." He licked the split in his lip, the one he had gotten when they had slammed his head against the computer bank when they had learned that everything had already gone out. "They know and they're coming for you."

Lelouch started out of his chair, taking the extra moment to snatch up his mask. He turned to look towards the door, Suzaku watching as his fingers drummed against the sides of the mask. "Why?"

"It was the right thing to do."

"They'll kill you to tie up loose ends. You're just another Eleven to them."

Suzaku shrugged. "I was never buying time."

He watched as Lelouch's face contorted in rage, his friend staring at him for a moment before storming to the door. Suzaku slumped back in his chair, watching Lelouch warily as his friend lingered at the door.

Lelouch raised his mask, pausing just before he slipped it over his face. "I could have saved you."

"I don't need to be saved."

Lelouch frowned and slipped the mask on. In a simple motion Lelouch was gone, the friend that Suzaku had grown up with replaced by Zero. He relaxed at the image. It was better when Suzaku couldn't see Lelouch's face, because he didn't have to face the betrayal directly. It could simmer in the corner of his mind and not distract him from the now.

As soon as the mask was in place, Lelouch looked back at him. "You mean, you don't deserve to be saved."

When Suzaku didn't answer, Lelouch opened the door and strode out into the hall. The last glimpse Suzaku got of his friend was Zero's cape flaring out behind him just before the door slid shut.


	5. School

**Chapter Five: School**

Euphemia snapped the case closed, flicking the two clasps into place. She tucked her music folder under her arm, picking up her flute case in her free hand before looking around.

Most of the marching band had already cleared out, trudging back to their cars or carpools to head home to crash or frantically work on homework for tomorrow's classes. The seniors were the only ones going out but, then again, the seniors didn't care at this point. They were college bound by the end of the year, leaving the rest of them to struggle through a few more years of high school before following.

She idly wondered who the next drum majors would be as she walked toward the front of the school. In the years before, someone from her family had always been a drum major, the tradition starting with Charles and Marianne when they were in high school. All of her siblings, half or full, had been drum majors before her, save for one exception. Euphemia sighed and shook her head. Perhaps she would be chosen, strange as it would be. She would rather the job go to someone else, she enjoyed marching and playing too much to just stand and direct.

Maybe Nunnally would get the job. It would be a rare thing considering that she was only a freshman, but she had been hanging out around the marching band since she had been in elementary school. Nunnally was a key part of the pit already, eagerly taking a position there as her wheelchair didn't allow her to march. Beyond that, Nunnally was the darling of the band, everyone knowing that they would feel the wrath of Schneizel or Cornelia if something happened to Nunnally, even though the two of them were in grad school and the military respectively.

And Nunnally as drum major wouldn't be a bad thing, the band would have a consistent leader for three years, something that hadn't happened since Cornelia had been in the band.

Euphemia smiled to herself and shouldered the door open. It was something to think about and to work towards. She was sure that, if she started putting the word around that Nunnally would make a great drum major, people would be ready to recommend her by the end of the year.

Her planning was brought to a halt when she saw Nunnally sitting by the front of the school, talking to Rolo. Her half sister spotted her and waved, Rolo looking like he was ready to run. Euphemia didn't blame him for it. All of their siblings tended to be protective of Nunnally, to the point of idiocy in her own opinion. Nunnally was allowed to have friends and boyfriends without the rest of their family interfering. It was when the latter started breaking her heart that Euphemia would condone going after them.

She jogged over to where the two were sitting, trying to give Rolo a reassuring smile. "Hello. Thanks for sitting out with Nunnally; my section had a short meeting."

"No problem." Rolo was looking over her shoulder, probably for Lelouch.

Euphemia shook her head, setting her case down on her lap. There wasn't much she could do about Lelouch; she couldn't rein him in like the others. Rolo probably had the better idea of running and hiding when he saw Lelouch. After all, Rolo was in most of Nunnally's classes and Lelouch could only be with his sister on breaks. Even then, Lelouch would be going to college in a year, which meant that Rolo just had to play a waiting game.

She patted his shoulder, Rolo slumping slightly with the motion. "If he isn't out here now, he's gotten distracted by something."

"I sent Suzaku after him," Nunnally piped up, "but that was almost ten minutes ago. He must have gotten side tracked."

The two of them shared a long look before Euphemia got up from the bench. She passed her case and folder to Nunnally, who settled it in her lap. "I'll go find them so we can get home and eat."

Nunnally nodded, her attention going back to Rolo as the boy asked, "Isn't Suzaku usually more reliable than this?"

Euphemia didn't get to hear the answer, she was walking quickly back into the school. From the front it was easy enough to slip into the hallway used for the drama, chorus and all the music programs and even easier to figure out where Lelouch was. All she had to do was follow the sound of someone playing the violin.

Out of all the people in their family, Lelouch was he only one who had ignored the tradition of going into marching band and gotten himself a place in the stings section of the music program. Their father was inclined to rant about the breakdown of family traditions, but Euphemia was proud of her older brother. Besides, if playing the violin made him happy, she wasn't going to argue with him. And it was a bit of a reprieve for the rest of them. If Lelouch had been in the marching band, he would have gone straight for the top, and the band didn't need someone as ruthlessly focused as Lelouch leading them. If that had ever happened, Euphemia was sure that Suzaku would have been the only person left marching by the end of the day.

She tiptoed down the hall, peeking into the small practice room. As she had expected, Lelouch was there, working on a piece. That wasn't strange at all; he usually stayed late when they had practice so he could drive them all home. It gave him the time to practice in a quiet environment without the craziness that went on at their house. The strange thing was the second person that was in the room.

Suzaku was standing right behind Lelouch, pressed against him with his chin on Lelouch's free shoulder. They both swayed a bit a Lelouch played, Euphemia not able to see their faces, but she was sure that they were smiling.

Euphemia shook her head, prudently making her retreat when Suzaku began to kiss Lelouch's neck. She had walked in on them once, and it was not something that she wanted to do ever again.

She walked back to the front of the hall, opening the door and letting it slam shut. That would be enough warning, but she would continue on just in case. "Lelouch?"

The sound of playing abruptly stopped, Euphemia pressing a hand to her mouth as she heard Lelouch curse, followed by her brother ordering Suzaku away. She walked back down the hallway, not surprised to see Lelouch poke his head out of the practice room. "Are you done?"

"Yes. And waiting for you." Euphemia paused as Suzaku ducked out of the room, his trumpet case in one hand. She waved at him, amused by the calm wave that he gave back. She didn't bother to watch him leave the hall; he would just be getting a ride back with them. Suzaku had been their neighbor for as long as Euphemia could remember. Instead, she sauntered up to Lelouch, watching as he crammed the sheet music into his backpack, his violin already secure in its case.

She leaned over to try and catch a glimpse of what he was working on, biting her lip to keep from laughing when she saw a fresh bruise on the side of her brother's neck. "I see you got distracted."

Lelouch slapped a hand over the bruise, giving her a startled look before he dropped to his knees and closed the violin case. Both the case and backpack were swept up quickly, Lelouch storming out of the room. "Let's go."

Humming, Euphemia followed in his wake.


	6. Mythical Creature

**Chapter Six: Mythical Creature**

"Dragon!" The cave echoed with his shout, Suzaku turning to follow the faint sound of something sliding over rock.

He frowned when his torch illuminated a trail of pebbles. It was not what he was looking for, although it was a sure sign that she had been there. He tightened his hand on his sword, raising it up as he plunged further back into the cave.

He had already passed the spot where Marianne had brought Lelouch in a desperate attempt to keep her son alive. Now he was pushing through winding tunnels, all of them scoured with talon marks along the bottom. Sometimes the tunnels opened up, revealing scattered bits of armor and gold, but Suzaku didn't let himself look too closely at them. He knew that he would just see the bones of the other knights who had dared to enter the dragon's lair. It would be his fate as well, now that he didn't have the protection of Lady Marianne. But he didn't care; he had lost everything that was important to him anyway. As long as he got a chance to wound the dragon he would be satisfied.

Suzaku jogged down another tunnel, picking out a branch at random. "Dragon!"

The sound of his shout echoed again, but this time it was accompanied by a snort. Suzaku ducked his head and ran faster, ignoring the way that his torch guttered. He would need it to see, but that was a dim thought in his mind. He had to find the dragon first, and then he would worry about what to do. "Where are you, dragon?!"

"Right in front of you."

Suzaku slowed down just in time to see something move in front of the end of the tunnel. He smiled and walked forward, keeping his sword up. His shield was strapped to the arm holding the torch, so useless for the moment. But the torch would be the first thing that he would throw away when he fought. The dragon was large enough that it didn't matter if he could see it all. As long as he got a few cuts in, he would be alright. If they weren't mortal, then he would make sure that the dragon bled to death.

He stepped out into another open room, surprised to see the dragon lounging on a flattened portion of rock. She rested her head on what looked like a mass of curtains, a strange sight. The dragon looked like a pampered lady, languishing away the hours until she was called upon. The sight made him sick. It was a perversion of nature, a creature pretending to be human. If he had listened to sense instead of Marianne, they wouldn't have been in this situation. And Lelouch wouldn't have gone mad.

Suzaku strode forward and stuck the base of the torch between two rocks, freeing up his shield arm. He raised the shield, crouching behind it as he looked up at the dragon.

The dragon barely glanced at him, the creature just heaving a sigh and swishing her tail. "Are you going to slay me, little phoenix?"

Suzaku tensed at the title, knowing that she mocked the bird on his shield. He was about to shout at her when the dragon turned to look at him, Suzaku freezing in the face of her golden eyes. "He told me you could."

Suzaku shook his head, quickly averting his eyes. Everyone knew that dragons could control people through their gaze; he would have to make sure not to look at her. That was probably how Marianne and Lelouch had succumbed to their madness. He stared at the back of his shield instead, taking a deep breath. "I've come to kill you."

He heard the dragon shifting, not risking the glance up that would show him what she was doing. He would be ready, even if she moved towards him. Suzaku shifted his stance, getting his sword ready only to hear the dragon laugh.

"I'm glad someone is willing to." He could hear the click of her claws on the floor, Suzaku standing his ground as they came closer. There was a brief pause, Suzaku tempted to peek over his shield. He didn't get the chance, the dragon hooking one talon on the top of his shield and lowering it. "But you're a little early. I haven't fulfilled my part of the bargain."

Suzaku tried to pull his shield away from her, growling when she easily held it in place with one claw. He pulled his arm free of the shield, taking a defensive stance with his sword, only for the dragon to laugh and sit back on her haunches. "You can try knight, but you will only hurt him."

"Hurt _him_. I'm saving him."

"Are you now?" the dragon settled down onto her belly, staring at Suzaku again. This time, he didn't bother to look away.

He squared his shoulders, meeting the dragon with his own glare. "You took him from me, changed him into a monster."

"Did I?" The dragon lowered her head to the ground, her muzzle just within reach of his sword. "Or did you ever really know him?"

"I was his friend from the start! I was there for him whenever he called for me. I pledged my sword to him before the emperor."

"His stalwart companion then. And you still didn't see it? Either he was better at hiding it than I thought or you were just an idiot."

He bristled at the word. He only allowed that insult from Lelouch, no one else dared to call him that. Suzaku had proven himself to be more than the young prince's dog or the son of a common peasant. He had earned his title, and he had made sure that everyone in Pendragon had known it.

Suzaku took a step forward, smirking when the dragon suddenly reared back out of his reach. By sitting up, her heart and stomach were out of his reach. So she was going to make it difficult for him. That made Suzaku smile.

His eyes swept up to the scar on the dragon's chest, the strange pitchfork shaped thing that he had noticed when the dragon had reared back before, just before she had pulled out half of her heart for Lelouch. Suzaku shivered at the thought. It wasn't natural, and it wasn't right. He took a deep breath and stepped closer. "I can kill you, since that's what you really want. No more talking."

The dragon laughed again, turning her head to look at another part of the chamber. "He is persistent."

"He always has been."

Suzaku turned around at the sound of Lelouch's voice, staring at the prince as he walked into the ring of light that the torch threw. He lowered his sword, barely aware of the dragon that loomed over them both. He was too busy staring at Lelouch, who looked like he had before the dragon had twisted him, right down to the soft smile. "Lelouch…"

Lelouch shook his head, walking over to Suzaku and pushing the sword so the point was facing the ground. "That's why I can trust him; he'll chase something to the end. And I need you to help me now. I need to bring down my father."

He stared at Lelouch for a moment before shaking his head. "No. You're not thinking straight. The dragon is controlling you. Just let me kill it and everything can go back to the way it was."

Lelouch sighed and shook his head. "It can't, Suzaku. And you can't convince me to stop what I'm doing."

"Then I'll just kill the dragon."

"You can't do that either." Lelouch rested his fingers on the flat of Suzaku's sword, exerting just enough pressure to keep the sword pointed down. "I have half of her heart. If you kill her, then I die."

Suzaku shook his head, looking from Lelouch to the dragon. Lelouch looked just as serious as he always had, but the dragon had stopped mocking him. Her expression was nearly the same as it had been when they had first brought Lelouch in, the prince broken and bleeding. Suzaku could trust that the dragon was taking what Lelouch was saying seriously, and that unsettled him. If Lelouch and the dragon were both telling the truth, then there was nothing he could do.

The sword clattered to the ground, Suzaku barely registering the sound as he backed away from the both of them. "No. No, I came here to save you. I _have_ to save you. Just come back with me and forget all of this, forget about the dragon and your father. We'll figure out a way to make you better."

"C.C."

The dragon moved, Suzaku turning to face the creature only to trip over her tail. He sprawled on his back, staring up at the dragon as she moved away again. The dragon gave him one backwards glance before lowering her head to speak to Lelouch. "You'll have to take care of him."

"Yes."

"But you won't do what you have to."

Lelouch hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "No. He's a valuable asset."

Suzaku looked between the two of them, about to scramble to his feet when Lelouch knelt at his side. Despite himself, he calmed at the sight of Lelouch, even shifting closer when Lelouch rested a hand on his shoulder. Maybe if he could get Lelouch to explain, there was a chance that he could talk Lelouch out of his mad plan. The emperor was too big, too dangerous to take down. It would be better for Lelouch to wait until Charles had died to challenge the throne. If he could get Lelouch to understand that, then maybe he could talk Lelouch away from the dragon's influence.

He reached up to grab Lelouch's arm, surprised by the sad smile that Lelouch gave him. "Suzaku, look at me."

It was a command, Suzaku following it automatically.

He saw a flash of red in Lelouch's eye, and then nothing.


	7. Fairy Tale

**Author's Note: **Takes place during _A Vow_.

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Fairy Tale**

Schneizel opened his eyes at the soft groan from beside him, watching as the dark shadow that was Kanon shifted on the bed. He tightened his hold on Kanon briefly, not to stop the squirming but to keep him in place. The sun wouldn't be rising for hours yet and Schneizel didn't want Kanon to leave until he had to.

He had gotten too used to the presence of another person in his bed over the years to be able to sleep when Kanon was gone. First, it had been the nursery and then it had been Kanon, crawling into his too big bed and stealing a good portion of the covers. And Schneizel wouldn't have it any other way.

Kanon was a loyal friend, an asset in everything that Schneizel needed to do for his father's empire. With Charles beginning to waver on his throne and Odysseus completely useless it would be up to him to manage the empire, at least until his father recovered. What Schneizel would do afterward was something he had not decided yet. There was no use in coming up with a plan when he didn't know all of the factors. It would be better to wait and see how things fell. After all, the physicians said his father would recover from his latest illness soon enough, and then things would go back to their usual pattern. At least until the next time that Charles got sick.

Sometimes it was enough to make him wish that Kanon would stay cursed forever.

He tightened his hold on Kanon at the thought, ignoring the sleepy protest that he got. Schneizel pressed his forehead against the back of Kanon's neck, taking deep breaths as he willed the temptation away, far away where he wouldn't think on it again. It was only when it felt like Kanon would wake up that Schneizel loosened his hold and relaxed back into the bed.

It was a selfish wish, one that he would never indulge. He had promised Kanon that he would break the curse, and Schneizel was not going to go back on his word. He was a prince of Britannia and had to be held to higher standards than his peers, especially since the emperor was sick. If he was strong and didn't allow anything to overwhelm him, the people would believe that it was just a bout of the summer sickness and that they didn't have to fear for magic or curses. He was the rock that the empire rested on now, and he couldn't afford to crack.

But he needed Kanon with him just as much. The man could go anywhere as a swan, the castle staff too used to his presence to say anything about it. Kanon was his spy inside of his palace and his messenger outside of it. Kanon could get anywhere in the empire faster than a horse and rider and speed was something that Schneizel needed. Everyone knew about the Black Knights and how they had risen to harass the Areas. Most people had written them off as a joke until they had started winning. Now the empire looked to him to solve the problem of the Black Knights, which was just another item on his long list of things to do.

Schneizel was sure that he could do it; it was all a matter of managing himself well. What he needed to finish the job was the sure knowledge that his most valuable member of his staff wouldn't run off on him.

There was nothing tying Kanon to Pendragon in the end. Schneizel offered the man a place to stay and some degree of safety, but there was nothing else between them. Kanon had family somewhere in the empire, a family that had abandoned him when he was a child, but Kanon might want to seek them out. There was no telling if breaking the curse on Kanon would free them too. Even if he wasn't attached to his family, Kanon might want to make sure that the curse was broken. Then there was the matter of the Maldini family estates and an entire world that Kanon had never gotten to experience. Why Kanon would stay to watch Schneizel try to wrangle the empire back into some sort of shape was beyond him. Schneizel didn't expect the bounds of loyalty to stretch that far.

On the other hand, he trusted Kanon. Implicitly. Kanon was the one he allowed into his room, into his bed. The one he allowed to know all the secrets of the empire without hesitation. Kanon was the one he talked to about the forces in his life that weren't his father or the never ending pull of politics. Kanon knew too much to just be allowed to wander free, but Schneizel would let him go.

He sighed, shifting so he had one arm draped over Kanon again. It was far too early to be thinking over things that couldn't be prevented. The best thing to do was to gather his resources and make a plan of attack from there. The curse was getting broken, Schneizel wasn't going to even try to find away around that. Everything else would have to fall into place from there.

Even with a vague plan, he still felt uneasy. Schneizel sighed, pressing his forehead a little bit harder against the back of Kanon's neck. For a moment, he felt a prick of pain in his left eye, the sign that his geass had activated. It wouldn't do him much good, but Schneizel couldn't resist the tiny bit of hope that he would be able to do something else than ease a person into believing him. Maybe, if he wanted it badly enough, his geass would do something useful for him just this one time.

"Stay."

The only answer he got was a soft mutter and Kanon continued to sleep on.


	8. Futuristic

**Author's Note: **Takes place after _My Mirror, Sword and Shield._

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Futuristic**

_November 12, 2036_

Rivalz had known Suzaku since they had been in middle school. He had nearly run the other boy over on his way to school. Thankfully, it hadn't been his motorbike, or else their friendship might have been over far too quickly. Still, it made for a great joke to break out among their peers. The two of them had gotten it down to a routine, a call and response that had impressed everyone in middle school as well as the few people that hadn't heard it in high school.

When they had hit high school, the little duo of Suzaku and Rivalz had expanded outward. Suzaku had taken Shirley under his wing from the first day, and Rivalz had gotten along with her instantly. It was hard not to get along with Shirley.

Rivalz would have liked to say that they had swept Milly into their group as well, but he knew the truth. They had all been swept up by Milly when she had swooped down on them and proclaimed them all members of the student council. Shirley had tried to argue, Suzaku had seemed resigned to his fate and Rivalz was man enough to admit that he had been too busy staring at Milly to do anything. He had felt like one of those girls on the covers romance novels that Shirley read, and was not embarrassed to admit it. Even as a junior, he wouldn't have minded being swept off his feet and carried into the sunset, as long as it was Milly who was doing the sweeping and carrying.

Rivalz couldn't remember where Nina had come from. She had just appeared in the student council room one day. He distinctly remembered having an empty seat next to him the day before and then she was there the next. But it wasn't too bad; he made sure to bring a snack for her because she always seemed to skip lunch to work on some science project of hers. Rivalz couldn't even begin to understand it, but he was amazed by it. And Nina had returned the favor plenty of times, quietly explaining math to him in a way that he really got. In the end, it didn't matter how Nina had ended up with the rest of them because she belonged there. Rivalz would jump to her defense just as quickly as he would the rest of his friends.

They all worked in balance until the day that Lelouch came.

Technically, it had been a week and Rivalz had no idea where Lelouch had stepped into the picture, but it didn't matter. Lelouch had messed up their rhythm by messing with Suzaku.

Rivalz was familiar with love, he had gotten used to carefully tucking it away when he watched Milly. He was used to not reacting with a soft smile or just shouting out that he loved her when she did something amazing. So, when Suzaku had started moping around the school, it had been easy enough to tell. Even Shirley had noticed it. So Milly, bright and beautiful Milly, had come up with a plan to get Suzaku moving, except that it had never happened. Moping had turned to depression and Suzaku staying past even when Milly would hold them.

So they had planned an intervention, wanting to drag the information out of Suzaku and find the person that was making him miserable. Because Suzaku was _theirs_ and no one messed with him.

Except that hadn't happened either because Suzaku had bounced into school a week later and had been escorted out by a new (college student, Shirley kept reminding him) boyfriend.

Rivalz huffed and glared at the pencil in front of him, flicking it towards the center of the table. The pencil rolled for a ways before slowly coming back to him, Rivalz watching it without paying much attention.

It wasn't the boyfriend thing that bothered him, that had mostly been a surprise. Then again, Rivalz had thought Suzaku hadn't been interested in anyone so a significant other of any gender was a surprise. The problem was that Lelouch had come in and messed with their Suzaku, had messed with him for a week. Rivalz just wanted the guy to be happy, and he wasn't sure Lelouch was right for that.

For all he knew, Lelouch had showed up out of nowhere, seduced Suzaku and then broken his heart for a week. If this was going to be a pattern, Rivalz wanted to stop it before it became a problem. And better him than Milly. He could keep things quiet when he wanted to, but Milly would gather the entire school to Suzaku's defense, which was something no one wanted to see happen.

It was why he had decided to take matters into his own hands by staying after Milly had dismissed the council early. It was a rare kindness that Rivalz almost regretted not taking advantage of. But Suzaku was also staying late, helping out one of the other clubs with something that he had promised them, which meant that Lelouch was bound to swing by and pick up his boyfriend. It was a grand romantic gesture that had managed to win the girls over, but not him. Rivalz was made of stronger stuff than that. Of course the girls wanted to believe the best of Lelouch, Rivalz desperately wanted it too, but he wouldn't stand for someone toying with his best friend.

He sat up abruptly as he heard the door slide open, spinning around to face Lelouch. Rivalz tried not to sigh in relief at the sight of Lelouch on his own. If any of the others had come with him, Rivalz would have been in trouble. Shirley would have dragged him out of the school and back to the dorms if she had known because she was willing to let the romance work out by itself. But Rivalz was made of sterner stuff.

Lelouch stared at him for a moment before looking around the room, Rivalz noticing how the man frowned. That was good, it was concern for Suzaku was obviously wasn't in the usual place. That at least was something better. Then the concern vanished, Lelouch sticking his hands in his pockets and tipping his head to the side. "I thought he had council today."

"Milly let us off easily." Rivalz watched him, waiting for Lelouch to ask for clarification. If Lelouch didn't care about Suzaku, he wouldn't bother to remember the names of his friends.

To his disappointment, Lelouch nodded like he understood and dug out his cell phone. Lelouch stared at the screen before tucking it away. "Well, he hasn't gone home, no texts from him. So, where is he? Off rescuing at cat at the price of his own life?"

It wasn't an insult, but it rubbed Rivalz the wrong way. How dare this newcomer barge into their lives, throw off the pattern that they had all developed between each other and send Suzaku into a state that none of them had seen him in? And then he had the nerve to joke about it.

Rivalz stood up, his chair knocking against the table. He noticed that Lelouch reached for his waist, pulling his hand back quickly. Lelouch's hand curled by his side as he stared at Rivalz, raising an eyebrow. The incredulous look was enough to stop Rivalz for a moment, just to pause and try to get his speech to sound somewhat coherent. "Listen about Suzaku-"

"What about him?" For a moment, Rivalz thought he saw Lelouch panicked, but then the unimpressed mask was back in place and he lost all patience for being polite.

"Everything! Did you think we wouldn't notice what you had done to him, ignoring him for a week?" Rivalz held up his hands when Lelouch looked like he was going to speak. "He told us what you were doing, about how you had some stuff to work out on your own. I get that, man. We all have shit we have to work through. But you straight up ignored him for a week and then expected him to go right back to you? You're lucky that he's loyal. Even Shirley wouldn't put up with that."

Now Lelouch looked insulted, which wasn't what Rivalz had been going for. He took a step back, sheepishly rubbing at the back of his neck. "Look. I think we all got off on the wrong foot. We only heard about you because of what Suzaku was going through and now I'm sure that I'm messing this up. But you've got to understand Suzaku is important to us and we don't want anything to happen to him. That's all I need to get off your back."

"You want me to promise that I won't hurt him?"

"Yeah."

"You know that's impossible, right?"

"Then you know that we'll come after you."

Strangely enough, that brought a smile to Lelouch's face. For a moment, it almost looked like he would laugh. But then it was gone, Lelouch completely serous again. "You have my word that I will try. I can't promise you anything else."

"Nothing like that week."

"No. Nothing like that."

Rivalz stared at Lelouch, trying to see if he was lying. He wasn't as good at is as Milly or Nina. They said he was too honest to be able to tell when other people were lying, but there was something about the way that Lelouch's shoulders slumped. He wasn't carrying himself around like one of the former nobles back in Britannia like he usually did, he almost looked like a normal kid their age. And that was enough for him, that Lelouch would relax his guard and attempt to make a promise. Milly and Shirley wouldn't like it, but they would have to extract the next promise from Lelouch themselves if they wanted. The promise that he had gotten was a good start, enough that Rivalz could step back and watch to see if anything else troubling came up.

"Right." He cleared his throat and jerked his thumb towards the left. "Suzaku is over in the labs. The science club wanted him to take some things back to Lloyd to see if their idea would work. Lloyd sometimes helps with them…when they come up with something that won't explode outright. Just go to the main building, second floor, room 206."

"Thank you." Lelouch turned to leave, Rivalz expecting the door to slide closed. Instead, Lelouch stood in the doorway, one hand out to catch the door as it slid. "Just so you understand, Suzaku is important to me as well; more than you and the others could ever know. Remember that."

He left, the door quickly sliding shut behind him.

Rivalz stared at the closed door, torn between just remaining in place in surprise or storming after Lelouch. Instead, he laughed, reaching back to catch himself on the table. He had hoped to intimidate Lelouch, and he had thought it had worked; until Lelouch had turned it back towards him. And it had worked in the opposite way too. For a moment, Rivalz had wanted to run.

He leaned back completely against the table, staring at the door and shaking his head. He didn't quite like the guy, but he could admire the man's guts. It took a lot to stand up to your boyfriend's friend and tell them off.

Rivalz sunk back into his chair, shaking his head. He would just have to wait and see about Lelouch then; all without letting Suzaku know how iffy he felt about his boyfriend. That would earn him one of Suzaku's patented looks of disapproval, and even Milly couldn't stand those.

He sighed and snatched up his bag, jogging out of the clubhouse. They would all just have to adjust to having Lelouch around and make room in their little group for them. They had done it before. It would just take time. After all, Lelouch hadn't left the best impression with them. Milly would probably continue to defend Suzaku's honor for a little while longer, just until she was sure that Lelouch's intentions were sincere. After that, everything would fall into place.

The sound of laughter brought him up short, Rivalz watching as Suzaku and Lelouch walked out of the main building, their arms brushing against each other. Rivalz had expected them to hold hands or do any of the other cutesy couples stuff that he had seen the other couples in school doing. But they were just there, existing by each other. Every once and a while, Rivalz could see Suzaku's fingers brush across Lelouch's palm or Lelouch lean closer to Suzaku. They weren't doing the usual couple stuff, but they looked like every other couple on campus. More than that they looked happy. Rivalz could accept that for now. He trusted Suzaku to know what was good for himself.

Rivalz gave them a wave, sure that neither of them would notice. They were too wrapped up in each other to notice anything about the world around them. He shrugged and adjusted his grip on his bag, throwing it over his shoulder as he walked towards his dorm.


	9. Aliens

**Chapter Nine: Aliens**

C.C. sat down heavily on the bench in the control room, listening to the soft sounds of the TARDIS in flight. They were the only sounds she could hear, strange considering her companions. Then again, she had thoroughly worn them out.

Actually, it was the other way around.

C.C. snorted and looked up at the ceiling, ignoring the bits of crystal that were stuck here and there.

As always, it was Suzaku's fault. She had just wanted a peaceful break on a planet known for its food. The delicacies weren't anything when compared to pizza, but they were just as good. And, considering the five other life or death situations that they had gotten themselves into, she had hoped that they would have a peaceful trip. Or that the peace would last long enough for her to stuff herself and retreat back to the TARDIS. They had yet to run into anything that Suzaku and Lelouch couldn't handle by themselves, after all, or maybe that was her being too generous, or too naïve.

What else could she have hoped for when she had brought Suzaku onto the TARDIS on a whim? She remembered thinking that no one would miss an injured solider, especially one that looked like he was going to bleed out. That had been the year she had been nostalgic, searching for a way to connect to something that wasn't her TARDIS. In retrospect, she should have known better.

Suzaku was an idealist and an optimist in the worst way. He had taken to trying to save people on the planets they landed at, disrupted C.C's careful observation of the cardinal rule of being a Time Lord, not to interfere. She had managed quite well on that rule for centuries now, far longer than humans had been 'civilized' but Suzaku seemed determined to make her break it. After all the trouble she had gone through to save his life, she wasn't about to watch him throw it away on something stupid. Besides, on every planet they went to someone was sure to take a fancy to him. C.C. would happily admit to taken blatant advantage of the fact without remorse, because it got her what she wanted and everyone turned up happy.

In the end, Suzaku was a good investment, even if he did tend to get himself in trouble. Like with the execution of the Demon Emperor of Eslyria. As far as C.C. could tell, it was a perfectly good exercise of the local authority. But she had taken her time to wander through the countryside and amuse herself there. Suzaku had been the one to actually spend time with Lelouch, so she trusted his judgment. From what little she had known about Lelouch then, he had been interesting enough. Although, after knowing him for a few years, he was sometimes annoying. But C.C. had learned to deal with all kinds of people, and there was nothing that a good application of the silent treatment and a few cryptic answers couldn't fix.

It still left her stuck with two humans (or one human and one human descendant) who got into more trouble than they were worth. It was enough to make her regret allowing either of them on board the TARDIS, because she had her mission. She wanted to be left alone, working her way through time and space for whatever end she had decided on in that moment.

C.C. frowned at the thought, annoyed that her usual plan didn't have the same appeal. Years of just drifting had gotten old, she had realized that long before she had met Suzaku, but there had been nothing that she was willing to do about it. Despite the distance from the rest of her race, there were still some values that lingered; like not wanting to leave the TARDIS in a place where it could fall into the wrong hands. C.C. was sure that there was a planet out there where Suzaku wouldn't find trouble, one that both hd and Lelouch would be content to live out the rest of their lives on so she could just _stop_.

It was a tempting thought, but one that was getting easier to push away by the day. As much as it annoyed her to be running for her life on every planet they landed on, it was also fun. There were always new places to see, new food to sample and more ways to goad Lelouch into a sulk. Better yet, everything felt better, felt new. It was an interesting enough feeling that C.C. wanted to see how it panned out, which meant that the nice quiet planet and an eventual end could wait a little while longer, just until she got bored with this life too


	10. Parody of Another Fandom

**Chapter Ten: Parody of Another Fandom**

Lelouch laughed at the trainers that called Suzaku weak.

They all knew him from their own village, where he had been under the tutelage of Gym Leader Tohdoh. They had all heard the stories about how Suzaku had come running to Tohdoh with an injured Pidgey, begging for the Pokemon to be saved. They had all heard how he had run away from home on his tenth birthday because of his father. Genbu had demanded that Suzaku follow the usual Pokemon journey that most ten year olds went through. They were to go to the nearest professor's house, if they didn't already have a Pokemon or couldn't take the family Pokemon, get the gear that they would need and set out on their own journey. Genbu Kururugi had made it to the Pokemon League once, and had placed third. It hadn't been enough to gain him entry to the Elite Four, but it had been more than enough for him to win fame in his own town. The stories of his anger at his son's refusal were legendary.

Of course, they all knew Suzaku from their own journeys, everyone had seen him with his Pokemon and challenged him to battles, all of which he had turned down. On the rare occasion he did accept, it was because one of his own Pokemon stepped up to take the challenge. To the rest of the people in their age group, Suzaku was a mystery; either too stupid or too weak to know what he was doing. To the rest of them, it would be better off if Suzaku had stayed home instead of going out on his own.

But none of them knew Suzaku, not really.

Lelouch had known Suzaku for seven years now, the two of them meeting early on into their journey. He remembered goading Suzaku into a battle, confident that his three Pokemon could beat the one Mewoth that Suzaku had tailing him, but he had been proven wrong. Everything that the other trainers had told him about Suzaku was wrong, so terribly wrong and it had embarrassed Lelouch completely.

He had put off his own journey, content to return home and look after his sister. Of course, he still caught Pokemon, on the off chance that he would go out into the field. Lelouch had planned to follow Nunnally, just to be sure that his sister was left alone. But then Suzaku had messed it all up.

Three years after his disastrous battle with Suzaku, the boy had showed up looking panicked. He had dragged Lelouch out to where a group of Pokemon poachers were setting traps, begging for his help in setting the Pokemon free. Lelouch had managed to get attached to a Vulpix that had been stuck in a trap, but that was the only Pokmeon they had kept that day. The others were sent free, and the poachers sent packing by Suzaku.

Lelouch had expected that to be the end of their friendship, but he found himself following Suzaku, just to make sure the boy didn't get into trouble. He remembered the many arguments that they had over that time, but they had somehow managed to come to an understanding, a strange friendship. Sometimes, it still baffled Lelouch, but he knew better than to think too hard on it. He trusted Suzaku to have his back no matter what, and he trusted Suzaku with his own life, something that Suzaku had proved time after time. However their friendship came about, it had worked.

Together they could do anything.

* * *

Lelouch smirked to himself, leaning forward on his rock as he watched a fierce wind ripple through the field in front of him. On his shoulder, he could feel his Murkrow dig her talons in, getting a better grip as he shifted. On his lap, Espeon didn't seem to notice his move; she was too busy staring at the battle that was happening right in front of them. For a moment, Lelouch was tempted to allow his other Pokemon out, just to see the proceedings, but he didn't want them running into battle. Not when this one was Suzaku's.

There was an explosion in the field, Lelouch starting to his feet. Whatever had happened in the battle had taken a turn for the worse. Lelouch narrowed his eyes before making his decision. He trusted Suzaku to hold out on his own, but there was nothing wrong with tipping the scales to their advantage.

He reached up to lift the Murkrow from his shoulder, looking the bird in the eyes. "Go find the traps, mark them. Espeon," Lelouch glanced down at the Pokemon by his feet, "Follow and free them."

The two nodded and took off, Lelouch ignoring them. He was too busy reaching for three Pokeballs on his belt. Technically, it was an unfair number, considering that Suzaku had probably already worn the poachers down, but Lelouch couldn't be sure if the poachers would play far. And, after all, he was only going to buy Suzaku some time before the main event arrived. And, considering the size of the explosion, it wouldn't be too long.

Lelouch selected Nidoking, Ninetails and Serperior's Pokeballs, releasing the Pokemon quickly. They fell into place beside him as he strode down the hill onto the field. Lelouch reached out to rest his hand on Serperior's head, a gentle reminder to all of them to wait for his signal. He was just there to intimidate, not to barge in immediately. Suzaku would let them know when they were needed.

The smoke over the battlefield cleared, Lelouch getting a glimpse of two crumpled bodies to one side. He clenched his free hand into a fist as he recognized them. It was Suzaku and Lancelot, the Absol curled pathetically on the ground. Suzaku wasn't moving, but he wasn't in any danger, not by the way that Arthur rushed up to jump onto Suzaku's body. The Persian snarled, glaring across the field.

Lelouch pivoted to look at their opponents, not really paying attention to the men. His focus was on the Charizard and Rhydon that were still standing, although it was barely. Suzaku had managed to inflict some damage on them before he had been knocked out. Lelouch narrowed his eyes, resisting the urge to check the sky or on his friend. Arthur would have everything well in hand concerning Suzaku; he just had to stall for a bit more time.

"Ninetails, make a fire and make it big." He heard a soft bark in understanding, feeling the Pokemon brush against him before Ninetails rushed off to the side. Lelouch stepped easily to the side, Serperior and Nidoking moving to stand in front of him.

He could see the looks of surprise on the men's faces, the expression quickly covered over. It was obvious that he was going into battle at a disadvantage considering the two Pokemon already on the field, but he had gone for impressive and threatening over type advantage. Besides, from what he had seen of the men, they were just hired thugs and none too bright.

One of them stepped forward, waving a hand in Suzaku's direction. "You gonna to step in for your friend?"

Lelouch gave the man a banal smile. "For now, if you don't mind."

"Not at all. We get to show some boys how Pokemon battles are really done." The poacher reached over to nudge his companion, Lelouch ignoring them in favor of the heat that he felt as Ninetails sent up a column of flame.

He had called, now he only had to wait for it to come.

Lelouch sighed, rocking back onto his heels as he looked at the men. "Tell me why you think I need a lesson."

"Because all boys need to know their place."

Lelouch saw his Pokemon twitch, both of them making an effort not to look over their shoulders. That was as much of a hint as the faint sound of something flying their direction. Nidoking and Serperior hunkered down, knowing what was coming their way, both of them a little intimidated. Lelouch couldn't blame them, not when he was also close to shaking. Then again, it was probably for a different reason.

He crossed his arms over his chest, about to deliver a witty retort when he heard a groan from behind him. Lelouch turned slightly, watching as Suzaku rocked onto his hands and knees, pushing at Arthur as the Persian continued to hiss and spit. Their gazes met for a moment, Suzaku blinking blearily at him before he was reaching for the Absol that was still unconscious on the ground. "Lancelot!"

"Suzaku." He looked up at the sound of his name, seeming to really see Lelouch for the first time. Lelouch just tipped his chin up. "Try to exercise some control this time. We're trying to save the Pokemon too."

The sound of something large coming their way was getting louder, Lelouch watching as Suzaku glanced over his shoulder before stumbling to his feet. Suzaku stepped carefully over the Absol, straddling the Pokemon as he looked over towards the poachers. He raised one arm up, like he was about to catch a flying bird. Lelouch smirked at the action, knowing that it was just to mark where he was so that the incoming attack wouldn't harm the people and Pokemon around Suzaku. He waved to his own Pokemon, retreating to the safe zone as Suzaku pointed toward the poachers and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Sacred Fire!"

* * *

The ground still smoldered, but the worst of the fire had been put out quickly after the attack had abated. In the ensuing chaos of Ho-Oh's arrival, Espoen and Murkrow had managed to free the trapped Pokemon and had returned to Lelouch's side, resuming their lounging positions. Lelouch had let the rest of his team out as well to let them romp before they were cooped up again. He had no idea where Suzaku would go next, but he was sure that he would follow after.

He made a face as he watched Ninetails roll enthusiastically in the ashes, letting the Pokemon do as it wished. It was a rare holiday for them on their constant tracking of Pokemon poachers. They had gotten enough out of the two that had been defeated to take down an entire ring; something that Lelouch was sure would make Suzaku happy, as soon as his friend was done looking after his Pokemon.

Lelouch looked over to where Suzaku was carefully applying salve to Lancelot's injuries, speaking quietly to the Absol. He smiled fondly at the scene, even with the inclusion of the huge bird that loomed over Suzaku.

He had long since gotten used to Ho-Oh's presence and the legendary Pokemon's affection for Suzaku. Even now Ho-Oh was trying to preen Suzaku, failing in its task to get Suzaku's messy curls to lay straight. But the Pokemon persevered; even when Suzaku reached up to gently push Ho-Oh's head away. It was only when Ho-Oh draped a wing over Suzaku that he allowed the preening to continue, meeting Lelouch's gaze with a helpless shrug of his own.

All the other trainers might have thought Suzaku was weak, but that was because they had never seen the sixth Pokemon that followed him around, the one that Suzaku never claimed to have captured, even though Lelouch was sure that the fact that Suzaku had never tried to catch the Pokemon meant more than any claim he made. And whether or not Suzaku had officially caught Ho-oh or not didn't matter.

Ho-Oh was as much Suzaku's as Suzaku was Ho-Oh's.

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**Author's Note:** Here are the teams I made up for them for this fic. Please not that I chose Pokemon that I thought would suit them the best, not Pokemon that would make a good team for battling per say.

Lelouch-Nidoking, Ninetails, Espeon, Serperior, Murkrow, Liepard  
Suzaku-Persian (Arthur), Breloom, Lairon, Absol (Lancelot), Haxorus, Ho-Oh


	11. Deserted Island

**Author's Note: **Alright, you'll probably notice that chapter eleven is technically skipped, but there's a reason for that. Chapter 11 was an image and won't let me upload that kind of thing (or if it will I have yet to find out how to do it). So, for those of you reading this here, go check out Chapter 11 on Archive of Our Own under the same username.

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**Chapter Twelve: Deserted Island**

It had been a week since they had first woken up on the island, three days since their confrontation over the cave. Kallen looked up from where she was snapping a branch into smaller pieces, checking on the one who had remained behind at their camp.

Euphemia was busy plucking a bird that Suzaku had brought down, a pile of fruit beside her. Kallen was sure that they would go search for more later, but it was enough for now. Besides, Lelouch had told them to always stay in pairs, just in case there was something big on the island. Kallen doubted it, but Lelouch seemed swayed by the scratches that they had found in the cave. He had said that it was an indication of people living on the island, something that Kallen scoffed at. They might have been on the island once, but they weren't there now.

Unfortunately, Lelouch wasn't around for her to argue with, he had gone off with Suzaku to do another sweep of the island, maybe spot a ship. Kallen thought that Lelouch was just trying to stay away from her. She hadn't taken it well when she had realized who was behind Zero's mask.

Out of everyone that it could have been, Zero had to have been Lelouch. He was too apathetic, too distant. He belonged to the world of Ashford. Even worse was the fact that she had suspected him and then ruled him out. She had known but had been tricked, just like the rest of the Black Knights. The branch in her hand made a satisfying snap as she broke it, Kallen tossing the pieces aside with more force than needed. The work was something to keep her from shouting at Lelouch or breaking him as easily as she broke the branches.

How dare he lie to them? How dare he promise them freedom and some kind of camaraderie when he was a Britannian? No, it wasn't because he was Britannian; it was because he was privileged, rich and sheltered from the rest of the world. By now, he knew how they struggled, but that didn't mean that he had the right to push his way into their business; even if he had been bringing them victory.

Kallen groaned and threw the last pieces of wood into the pile, ignoring the confused look that Euphemia shot her. She didn't want to have to talk to the princess, not while she was so angry at Lelouch. But mostly she was angry at herself, that she had allowed herself to be tricked.

In the end, she didn't care if Lelouch was a Britannian. The Black Knights were focused on justice for everyone and it would be hypocritical of her to hate their leader for that. What she resented was that Lelouch had known about her, about everything and had kept silent. It was like he didn't trust her, and she was the leader of the Zero Squad, his body guard. Surely he could have let her know and she wouldn't have told a soul. Kallen was sure that she could trust Zero, Lelouch was another matter entirely. Kallen was sure that she could come to some decision if he would stop avoiding her.

Lelouch was out all the time, with Suzaku or Euphemia, but never with her. When it was her turn to search for food or to see if there were any boats coming, Lelouch would stay back at camp, leaving Suzaku to volunteer. Not that Kallen would complain about having to go around the island with Suzaku, she was sure that Lelouch was gone twice as long because he was so badly out of shape. That he always seemed to take the most time with Suzaku was something that she was not going think too hard about. There were better things to occupy her time, like focusing on getting the fire started and what she had to do tomorrow.

She glanced up as Euphemia hummed, the princess looking inland. Euphemia remained motionless for a while before turning to look back at Kallen. "It's getting late. I thought they would be back by now."

"Yeah." At least Lelouch should have been. Suzaku would work until he ran out of light. Kallen brushed her hands off on her flight suit, her attention going to the pile of sticks. "I guess we start cooking then, it'll take a while."

"And if they don't come back in time?"

"There's always the fruit."

Kallen didn't expect Euphemia to laugh, or look quite so devious. "It serves them right, standing us up. Let's enjoy our dinner and watch for ships. And if one comes, we might not remember to tell them to wait for those two."

To her surprise, Kallen found herself laughing along with Euphemia. It served Lelouch right for lying to her and then refusing to talk. And, even though it was a lesser sin, getting her stuck on this island in the first place. She was Zero's bodyguard and could hardly be expected to just let him get captured. A week long vacation on a deserted island was not her idea of repayment. Lelouch could suffer through a dinner of fruit for all she cared. It was the perfect punishment.


	12. Buddy CopsDetective

**Author's Note: **This one takes place in the story _Elementary My Dear Kururugi_, which has only been posting to AO3 thus far. If you haven't read that story, then it's basically a fusion with BBC's Sherlock, the RDJ Sherlock movies and the actual book series; all set in the Code Geass universe.

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**Chapter Thirteen: Buddy Cops/Detective**

Under new management.

That was the phrase that had held all of the information that Suzaku needed, it was the reason that Mao had specifically said that to him that had evaded him for so long. The man had looked at him, smiled at him and said "It was nothing but revenge before, but we moved on from that under new management."

Suzaku had been more than willing to just pass it off as Mao's insane rambling until he had realized what Lelouch must have three years ago, after a certain point, the crimes organized by V.V. did not match up. The most recent murders didn't even make sense when compared to the ones before.

Suzaku stumbled into the sewer entrance, the same one that they had taken when they had gone to find Gino. Something had to be here, Lelouch had gone missing for a few hours before he had been found, and he had looked shaken. Suzaku had just ignored it then, Lelouch had been alone in the dark for a while by that time. He had never even thought that Lelouch had found V.V, the new V.V.

But what if he had. Suzaku stopped to brace himself against the wall, catching his breath so the sound of him panting wouldn't echo in the tunnels. What if Lelouch had met with V.V. and talked to him? That would have explained the sudden drive that Lelouch had gotten for these cases, there had probably been a deal that V.V. would give him the name of the person who had killed his mother, and Lelouch would have promised not to reveal who V.V. was.

Failure was not an option for Lelouch, and V.V. had become an annoyance. _That_ was the reason that Lelouch had pursued him, chased the man who had been taunting him until they had both fallen off the bridge to their deaths.

Suzaku steadied himself against the wall, fumbling in his pocket for a flashlight. He was an idiot not to have seen this sooner. He should have been paying attention to the cases that Lelouch was working on; watching to see what was coming up. It was his job to catch what Lelouch missed. But he had been too busy with…Suzaku couldn't even remember what.

He would make up for it today. If he retraced Lelouch's steps, then he could find out why Lelouch had to be killed too. V.V. was too crafty to allow himself to get caught, so he had probably set Lelouch up, which is why Lelouch had been forced to fight instead of talk. If it had been just the two of them, just V.V. and Lelouch, then Lelouch might have made it out alive.

If he remembered correctly, Lelouch had said that V.V's men used these tunnels to get to him. There were hundreds of them, tunnels created by Elizabeth III as a way out of Pendragon, just in case Napoleon tried to take their country again. The tunnels ran for miles under the city and out into the desert. Suzaku had never heard about where they ended, just that they connected most of the old buildings' cellars together and were the home of most of the criminals in Pendragon. He was sure that he could find someone that could take him to V.V.

Suzaku pulled the flashlight from his pocket, making his way into the first large chamber. This was where they had found Gino, and this was where Lelouch had left them. He frowned and raised the flashlight so he could see the tunnels that led away from the room. None of them were marked, so he just had to guess. He hadn't been looking when Lelouch had run off.

He swallowed and stepped toward the first one on his right.

He was about to walk into the tunnel when he heard footsteps. Suzaku froze, staring at the darkness ahead of him. Someone was walking into the chamber behind him, he could tell from the echoes of their footsteps. He had two choices then, either to walk into the tunnel or turn around. He swallowed and made up his mind, about to take another step into the tunnel. If the person behind him had a gun, he wanted to get into cover as soon as possible.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Suzaku froze at the voice, his mouth dropping open. "That one collapsed a year ago. Whatever you are looking for isn't there. To be completely honest, whatever you're looking for probably isn't in any of these tunnels at all."

Suzaku turned around, his hand shaking as he aimed his flashlight at the other person.

Lelouch smiled serenely back at him.

"Lelouch." Suzaku's voice broke over the name.

"Hello."

He found himself shaking his head as he walked toward the man in the chamber. The man looked like Lelouch, dressed like him and carried himself like him. But it couldn't be Lelouch. Lelouch had died three years ago. Suzaku had watched the funeral, he had watched them lower the casket into the ground. Lelouch was dead.

"No. This isn't real."

"It is."

"I…I…"

"I know this is a shock." Lelouch smirked, sticking his hands into his pockets. "But I can assure you that-"

Suzaku punched him.

He didn't even realized that he had done it until he saw Lelouch sprawled on the floor of the chamber. Suzaku swallowed, taking a step closer. "You're dead."

"I'm not." Lelouch glared at him, gently touching his cheek. "You can't punch a ghost."

"No. You're dead."

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm-"

"I went to your funeral. I watched them bury you. I _mourned_ for you, Lelouch!" He listened to his voice echo in the chamber, panting for breath as he stared down at Lelouch.

Lelouch didn't look at him, instead he was staring at Suzaku's left hand. "So you really did get a divorce? I was sure that Euphy would have tried to keep you close to her after the political marriage."

"We separated before, Lelouch."

"Before?" Lelouch looked suitably shocked at that, Suzaku slightly gratified. At least Lelouch didn't know everything.

"We just couldn't…not after you died."

Lelouch stood up, brushing off his pants. "Don't blame me for your failed marriage, Suzaku."

"You…" Suzaku swung at him again, Lelouch managing to step out of the way this time, but he looked frightened now. "You arrogant bastard! It has nothing to do with you! Not everything revolves around you!"

"You certainly did."

"Yeah, and what about Nunnally?" That got the desired reaction, Lelouch wincing and looking away. "She was a mess for months, even Rolo couldn't help her. He didn't even get a chance to mourn, he was too busy helping her cope and, by the time that Nunnally was alright, it was too late. Did you even_ think_ about what you were doing to them?"

"Of course I did."

"Then why didn't you tell them?!"

"Because I couldn't!" Lelouch crossed his arms, standing his ground. "I made a deal to keep them safe. V.V. wouldn't touch them if I disappeared, so I did."

"You…you…" The explanation was so simple and so Lelouch that Suzaku couldn't think of a thing to say. It was just like Lelouch to risk everything for his siblings without really thinking through the consequences or even thinking about how it would affect other people until it was too late. Suzaku had stopped being able to cry over Lelouch a long time ago, so all he could do was laugh.

He swayed on his feet, finally falling to his knees and dropping the flashlight to the floor as he laughed. He thought he heard Lelouch say something, but he couldn't hear anything over the sound of his hysterical laughter.

Suzaku didn't know how long he stayed like that, finally falling forward and bracing himself on his hands as he laughed. He only snapped out of his daze when he felt someone's hand on his back. Suzaku closed his eyes, trying to take a breath, only to cough.

"You idiot. What have you done to yourself?"

Suzaku managed a chuckle at that, suddenly not able to stop trembling. He pushed away from the ground, sitting back on his heels and staring at Lelouch. It only took a moment before Lelouch pulled him into a hug. Suzaku didn't return the hug for a moment, too stunned to do anything, and then he wrapped his arms around Lelouch and clung to him for dear life.


	13. Allegiance-Swap

**Chapter Fourteen: Allegiance-Swap**

A transcript of a conversation taken from surveillance footage in the Administrative Building.

Private Rooms of the Viceroy. 8:00 pm. August 26, 2017

_[First part of the conversation happens out of the range of the camera. No other cameras managed to pick up the initial contact, indicating that one of the men was familiar with the layout of the building and the security measures. Instead, there is a rustling of fabric heard and then the sound of a harsh snap. A pair of heavy duty metal cutters appears on a table, but nothing else]_

Lelouch vi Britannia: They seem to have treated you rather roughly.

Suzaku Kururugi: No thanks to you.

LB: Jeremiah was the one in charge of the operation. I had no say in it. I only arrived this evening, just in time to demand you to be set free. _[Now Lelouch walks into view of the cameras, going to sit at his desk]_ I wouldn't have let them hurt you.

SK: Yeah. But you would have let them kill someone else.

LB: That's not the point.

SK: That's the entire point. It didn't matter if I killed Clovis or another Japanese person did, either of us would have been killed without a fair trial. The only reason you came in to save me was because we knew each other.

LB: Suzaku-

SK: And what are you doing now? Offering me a way out. In what world is that fair?

LB: _[Now standing up behind his desk]_ In no world. Life isn't fair, Suzaku. If it was, I wouldn't be here and you wouldn't be there. Clovis wouldn't have been killed. Japan wouldn't have become Area 11 in a fair world. That's all there is to it and we need to make the best of it.

SK: _[laughing]_ What happened to you obliterating Britannia?

LB: They tried to kill Nunnally! _[Suzaku Kururugi steps into view of the camera at this point, looking shocked. Further research has shown that he had known both Lelouch and Nunnally vi Britannia prior to the invasion]_ We were with the Ashfords for a year before someone tried to kill her. The Ashfords sent us back to a branch of the family in Pendragon. That didn't last long either. We were swept up into the royal family again. Father made it clear what I would have to do keep Nunnally safe. I have to do what he says.

SK: For now.

LB: Yes, for now.

SK: Once you would have jumped at the chance.

LB: Never when Nunnally was on the line. And what about you? You would have never tried to push me like this. What happened to the kind idiot from the shrine?

SK: Britannia killed him.

LB: Suzaku, I-

SK: I won't put you in any more danger Lelouch.

_[Suzaku Kururugi turns to leave, but is stopped when Lelouch walks around the desk and grabs his arm]_

LB: Wait. I'm conducting an investigation into Clovis' death. I'm going to clear your name, Suzaku. I just need help. What better way to start my time as viceroy than to have the cooperation of the Japanese. Even better, the prime minister's son. Suzaku help me, for Nunnally's sake!

SK: I can't. I would just be incriminating myself.

LB: Then you really…Why?

SK: You know why. You've probably known exactly why anyone would kill the viceroy of Area 11.

LB: Is that a threat?

SK: It's a warning. I'm going to do my best to protect you, Lelouch, but I can't afford to play favorites. Keep up your guard. Watch where you step.

LB: Don't get in your way?

SK: Yes. _[Suzaku Kururugi turns to leave again, passing out of camera range. The rest of the conversation is carried on with Suzaku out of sight and Lelouch standing in the middle of the room.]_ You know, I always hoped that we would meet again. But I never thought that it would be like this.

LB: Neither did I.

SK: Still, I'm glad that we could at least talk. Don't worry too much about Nunnally. I won't do anything that will make you choose between her and me. Just stay safe.

LB: Thank you.

SK: And don't try to find me again. You'll just get yourself killed. Goodbye.

_[As Suzaku is off camera it is assumed that he leaves at this point. His path through the rest of the Administrative Building is still unknown, all the guards had been previously ordered away by Lelouch.]_

LB: Goodbye, Suzaku.

_[End transmission]_

Note: This is the first record of conversation between Prince Lelouch vi Britannia and Suzaku Kururugi, who would later become famous as the leader of the Black Knights. While this proves that they knew each other from their childhood, it does not prove that they were collaborating with each other from the start. Further study of the Administrative Building security tapes is needed to pinpoint when they joined forces and prove that it had always been their plan to take over the Britannian throne.


End file.
